


Farewell Wanderlust

by tbmd1066



Series: Carpet Burns and Carousels [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Canon Era, M/M, Magic Ban Lifted (Merlin), Post-Magic Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25575154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tbmd1066/pseuds/tbmd1066
Summary: Merlin supposed he couldn't take sole credit for the way Arthur said the word magical. The tender hope and adoration poured into the word couldn't all be because of Merlin. But as the king reached out and Merlin took his hand, he thought maybe he had a fair bit to do with it.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Carpet Burns and Carousels [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769542
Comments: 7
Kudos: 260





	Farewell Wanderlust

Merlin liked research, generally, when he didn't have to deal with a life or death deadline. Helping Arthur pull up the old legislations for magic regulation was quite possibly the most fun he'd ever had. He liked pouring over the mandates and bylaws. The system had been far simpler than he or Arthur had realized. Magic had once been permissible, provided that it wasn't used to break any other laws of the kingdom. Certain dark spells were banned because they didn't fall under preexisting laws but were nonetheless deemed uniquely immoral. As Arthur began penning the laws anew, Merlin could find no fault in them. 

Unfortunately, there were council members who could. In the end, which was actually barely the beginning, it was Morgana, sitting at her brother's right hand, who shut them down. Her passion won everyone over or at least scared them off. With the king on her side, there wasn't much they could do. 

It was happening. Merlin saw each law repealed, and each motion set forward. He stayed up into the late hours of the night discussing footnotes with Arthur and stood behind him as they were argued about in council the next morning. Magic was being legalized. 

He felt horrible. He couldn't stop feeling guilt over every spark of joy. Guilt for all of the people who hadn't lived to see this, the lives lost and precious time wasted. Not only that, but things were changing so fast. They were changing for the best, undoubtedly, but they were still changing. He was going to be free for the first time in his life, and he felt physically sick with excitement. Time crept around him like a cat toying with a mouse. The days flew past faster than he could grasp them, and minutes crawled at a snail's pace. It felt like it would be centuries before they were through, and then suddenly, there the laws were. Merlin stared at the paper in his hands. He was free.

"What do you think?" Arthur asked.

"It's perfect." Merlin beamed, wiping a tear from his cheek. 

"Yes, yes, very moving legal jargon." Morgana waved her hand dismissively. "But when do we get to celebrate Merlin officially joining the council as Court Sorcerer, because I for one cannot wait to see him in some new robes." 

Merlin blinked. "Court Sorcerer?"

"Yes." Arthur nodded. "We'll need one, won't we." It clearly wasn't a question. And Merlin knew that Arthur was right; there would still be criminals using magic in dangerous and illegal ways. There would be abjurative wards needed around the palace, the citadel, the country. There would be a position in the court for someone who could deal with those things, but somehow, he hadn't imagined it would be him. 

"What about you, though?" he asked Arthur. "You'll still need a manservant; you don't even know how to fold laundry." 

"Well, Merlin, I don't know if you know this, but being the King's manservant is actually quite the honour, and there would be people more than willing to take the job." 

It was almost as though Arthur was trying to make him jealous. It was working. 

"Well, Arthur," he began, deciding to be a prick pretty early in the sentence. "I don't know if _you_ know this, but I've saved your life rather a lot of times solely by being your manservant, and I don't think anyone else is _qualified_ for the job." He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Morgana watched them gleefully, her eyes brightly darting between the two men. 

"Merlin..." Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, and Merlin decided to take pity on him. 

"For a long time, I thought I'd never get any recognition for the things I do, and it was upsetting," he admitted. "But I also never thought I'd be free like this." He let his fingers slide over the margins of the paper on the table in front of him. "All I need is for you to know who I am. Everyone else can underestimate me, makes things easier, honestly. An unnoticed servant is much better at sneaking around and saving your skin from the sidelines."

"He makes a good point, Arthur." Morgana nodded.

"But you shouldn't have to sneak around and save me from the sidelines," Arthur protested. "You should be able to save me in front of everyone."

"You'd be embarrassed." Merlin thought of all the times Arthur had insisted upon being independent and resented the implications of needing any sort of help.

"I wouldn't." Arthur shook his head. 

"You'd be aroused." Morgana laughed, if only for the sole purpose of stoking the argument to be more entertaining.

"Morgana!" Arthur squawked, turning scarlet. 

Merlin laughed. "Ah, I see. You're wishing to play out some kind of damsel-in-distress fantasy, is that it?" 

"No!" Arthur shouted. "Just... consider it, Merlin? Not for that reason! Stop laughing!"

"All right, all right, I will," Merlin chuckled. "But I think Morgana should be considered as well. She's just as qualified as I am. Court Sorceress has a nice ring to it."

"That it does." Morgana smiled. "I'll be sure to send you my resume, Arthur."

"Oh, honestly." the king mumbled, thoroughly annoyed with both of them. "So long as both of you are there to announce it to the people with me tomorrow, I don't care. You can both have the job." 

"Of course we'll both be there," Morgana said. "In fact, if we're going to be getting up early to address the people first thing tomorrow, I'd better be retiring. Sleep well, you two." There really wasn't any pretence about that anymore, was there? Merlin had been dodging accusations about sleeping with Arthur from his first day as his manservant. Now that it was actually happening, no one seemed to give a shit. They all said their goodbyes, and Merlin started getting everything ready for bed.

"You know," Merlin said, sliding into bed next to Arthur. "It'd be a lot harder to get away with this if I were the Court Sorcerer."

"I know. That's my point. I don't want it to be something you're getting away with. I...I want everyone to see how amazing you are. I want these things to be things you're allowed, even supposed to do." 

It was such a sweet thing for him to say. But something felt uneasy in-between Merlin's ribs. He wrapped his arms around Arthur and buried his face into the king's chest. "I don't need all that," he whispered. "Everything is about to change, I know, but...I want to stay here."

Arthur pulled him close. "I wouldn't have you anywhere else." 

That uneasy feeling began to unfurl, allowing Merlin to drift off when Arthur spoke again. 

"All right, Merlin. I'll make you a deal." 

"What's that?" Merlin mumbled sleepily. 

"You don't have to be the Court Sorcerer. But you have to do something else."

"What?"

"Marry me," Arthur said as if they hadn't been planning on doing just that for years. "Not now, not tomorrow, not until we're ready. But someday. I want to rule this nation with you by my side, and I know that's what you want, too." It was. "Do we have a deal?"

Merlin smiled so wide it hurt. "Of course." 

"Seal it with a kiss?" Arthur teased. Merlin tilted his head up and met Arthur's lips with his before snuggling back down into the pillows.

"You know," he said. "If we're going to be married, I expect you to start helping out around here a bit more."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You can't expect your husband to do all the chores." 

"Oh, really?"

"Yep. I'll teach you how to wash the floors properly; put those muscles of yours to good use."

"Or you could just keep doing it with magic, especially since it's legal now."

"Where's the fun in that?"

* * *

The next morning there they were, standing on the balcony together, looking out over their people. 

Arthur was practically glowing in the sunlight.

"People of Camelot, I thank you for joining me here today. Twenty-six years ago, my father, may he rest in peace, stood here and decreed that anyone found to be practicing magic would be put to death. Our people fled for their lives, hid who they were... because as I have learned, magic is a part of them, right to their soul."

Merlin's magic hummed comfortably under his skin. 

"I believe that all of us struggle as sons and daughters. We want to make our parents proud, but we must also be true to our own ideals. I love my father very much, and I wish to honour him in the way that I lead this country, but I cannot deny that he was wrong about some things. Therefore it is my duty to make changes—changes which I believe will be for the better, and which will bring strength, diversity and peace to our lands. It is for these reasons that the ban on magic is now lifted." 

The people reacted slowly, with a mixture of gasps and chatter. Merlin was standing too far away to hear their words or see their faces. All he could hope for was their approval.

"The people of Camelot will be free to practice, study, and live magical lives."

Merlin supposed he couldn't take sole credit for the way Arthur said the word magical. The tender hope and adoration poured into the word couldn't all be because of Merlin. But as the king reached out and Merlin took his hand, he thought maybe he had a fair bit to do with it. He glanced at Morgana, holding Arthur's other hand. She nodded, and the two of them raised their free hands skyward. 

"Glæm úpámýlaþ!" they shouted together. Lights flew outward from their outstretched palms, like dancing stars in the sunlight. 

Slowly but surely, the people began to cheer. Arthur's grip on Merlin's hand tightened, and there was nowhere else he would have preferred to be. 

**Author's Note:**

> Some thoughts:  
> I was going to have Morgana and Merlin do fireworks at the announcement and then I remembered that it was daytime and that would look sad.  
> https://thebluemoondragon.tumblr.com/post/190965119009/demonstration-of-the-x27-color-nvgs-color I imagine what they did looking a little like this. 
> 
> I do want to write the wedding eventually. It'll happen. It took a while to get this one out, but it happened. 
> 
> Spells used:  
> Glæm úpámýlaþ: Brilliant lights, appear.  
> Glæm: A brilliant light  
> Úpámýlaþ: to come to light, appear. Plural imperative verb
> 
> Title is from The Amazing Devil's song "Farewell Wanderlust."


End file.
